Of Berts and Beagles
by DiNozzos probie
Summary: Originally written for the Tibbs Yuletide Challenge at Live Journal. Gibbs and Tony prepare to celebrate their first Christmas together, but not without a few bumps in the road. This is a slash story, so if you aren't into that kind of thing or if you are under age 18, please do not read! It is rated M for a reason.
1. Chapter 1

"Of Berts and Beagles"

Chapter 1

Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs walked into the NCIS forensics lab with a large cup of Caf-Pow! to find his forensic expert, Abigail Scuito, searching feverishly for something. The lab looked like a stage set from a production of "The Nutcracker" with Christmas lights, tinsel and garland strung over everything, and heavy metal cover versions of classic Christmas carols blared from her stereo speakers. Gibbs smirked at the resident hanging skeleton dressed as an elf; last year it had been dressed in a very skinny Santa suit.

He observed Abby for several minutes as she rummaged through her desk and through several cabinets, flinging doors open and slamming them shut in frustration. When it looked like she was about to begin dismantling her favorite "baby", Major Mass Spec, he cleared his throat and asked, "Lose something, Abs," as he set the highly caffeinated drink on her desk.

She looked up at him with her braided pigtails askew and a frantic look on her dirt smudged face. She raced over and threw herself into his always welcoming arms. "Gibbs, I don't know what to do! It's Bert; he's missing. I think someone kidnapped him."

Gibbs pulled back from the crushing embrace and cocked his head to the side before asking, "Why would someone want to kidnap a stuffed animal, Abs?"

"I don't know, Gibbs," she whined pitifully looking like she was about to cry, "But we have to find him."

Gibbs had come to the lab to check on the results of a DNA comparison that Abby was running for him, not to search for a stuffed hippo that farted when you squeezed him. He wrapped a loving arm around her shoulders and kissed the top of her head. "I'm sure he'll turn up. Now, about the DNA results Abs?"

Abby sighed but stepped away from Gibbs to put the results of the DNA test from her computer up on the big plasma screen. "It's a match. There was blood from two different people on the knife. One is the victim's, of course, and the other matches the blood drops we found on the victim's shirt. That blood belongs to his roommate. Looks like you caught the bad guy again, Bossman," she said without her usual enthusiasm.

The team had spent the last three days tracking down leads to the murder of Navy Lieutenant Martin Fields, who was found dead in an alley outside of his apartment building. After interviewing nearly everyone in the Lieutenant's unit, they learned that he had been in an argument with his roommate, Lt. David Marks, the night he died. Apparently, Lt. Fields had been discovered by Lt. Marks coming out of a bar called Shades, a well-known popular gay bar in Georgetown that was just a few blocks from their apartment.

Lt. Marks admitted during questioning that he was upset to find out that his supposed best friend and roommate was a closet homosexual and confronted him. He told Gibbs that the two of them argued for several minutes, but that Martin was alive and well when he left him in the alley to go to another friend's apartment for the night. Marks swore that he didn't stab him. "I might have been pissed to find out he's a fag, but I didn't kill him," he declared.

However, now armed with the blood and DNA evidence, along with the corresponding cuts on Marks' hand and his fingerprints on the knife, Gibbs would be able to charge him with second degree murder and turn the case over to JAG. All that was left for him and his team to do was write up their investigation reports and turn all of the evidence and copies of their reports over to the prosecutors.

"Thanks Abs," Gibbs said as he turned to leave the lab with a printout of her results in his hand. As he reached the door he called over his shoulder, "Don't worry, we'll find Bert."

Meanwhile outside of Autopsy, Very Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo and ME's Assistant Jimmy Palmer were whispering to each other conspiratorially in a secluded corner of the hallway.

"You get it," Tony asked quietly as he looked around to make sure no one was watching them.

"Yes," Jimmy said nervously, "but I don't feel good about this Tony. We could end up in seriously big trouble."

Tony leveled a glare at Jimmy and said, "It will all be over in a few days, so just chillax, will 'ya? Where is it?"

"It's in a safe place. Look, I have to get back before Dr. Mallard comes looking for me," Jimmy said before turning away. He turned back and left Tony with a clear warning, "If this all blows up, you are on your own, DiNozzo."

Tony rolled his eyes at the threat and headed for the nearby elevator. He stood and whistled a Christmas tune, rocking back and forth on his feet as he impatiently waited for the elevator to arrive. He needed to get back up the bullpen fast before Gibbs came looking for him. He'd already been warned once this week about not staying focused on the investigation, and he wasn't looking forward to facing the wrath of Gibbs again if he got caught slacking off. Unfortunately, he had been looking down at his feet admiring his new Italian leather loafers when the doors opened and he ended up running right smack into Gibbs's chest. The color drained from his face and his eyes went wide at the stern look on Gibbs's face, but he managed to step into the elevator and squeak out, "Oh, hey Boss!"

Gibbs fixed what was commonly called a death glare on Tony, and with a frustrated sigh asked, "DiNozzo, am I going to have to start chaining you to your desk?" He just stared at Tony for a moment before reaching over and hitting the stop switch bringing the elevator to a shuddered halt.

"Sorry, Boss. I just had to talk to the Autopsy Gremlin about something. It's a surprise," Tony said with a smirk. Schooling his expression in an attempt to look remorseful, he mumbled softly, "Won't happen again, Boss."

Gibbs snorted before suddenly reaching out and grabbing the middle of Tony's shirt pulling him close to his body. With a hand firmly knotted in Tony's hair, Gibbs crushed his lips onto Tony's in a bruising kiss. He teased the seam of Tony's lips with his tongue requesting entrance which was instantly granted. Tony moaned as Gibbs took utter and complete possession of his mouth leaving him breathless and a bit dizzy when they eventually parted.

Tony looked at Gibbs with a goofy grin on his face and asked huskily, "And just what may I ask did I do to deserve that?"

Gibbs grinned back and stated plainly, "Just trying to get you to focus. What the hell are you and Palmer up to anyway? I know that look, and I can tell that you two are up to something." He leaned against the back wall of the elevator with his arms crossed over his chest waiting to see what kind of explanation he was going to get.

Gibbs and Tony had been seeing each other romantically for just over six months, specifically since Tony's drunken July 4th confession after the annual NCIS/FBI charity softball game.

_Flashback:_

_Team NCIS wiped the field with the FBI winning the fiercely contested game 8-1 thanks to Gibbs's deadly pitching and Tony hitting a grand slam homerun in the bottom of the 5__th__ inning to put the game out of reach. _

_Tradition had the losing team buy a couple of rounds for the winners at Mike's Tavern, a popular sports bar close to the softball field where the annual game was held. The members of Team NCIS, which also included McGee, Abby, Palmer, Dorneget, Ziva and two new probies on Agent Moretti's team, stayed for a couple of hours after Team FBI left after enduring a fair amount of razzing and settling up with the bartender. _

_Tony talked a mile a minute as the liquor kicked in while he broke down the game highlights. Gibbs sat next to him and watched as Tony positively glowed as he went on to praise Gibbs for his "ridiculously awesome pitching". Tony led the others in a round of applause and grinned at Gibbs when he noticed the boss blushing at the praise. One by one, or two by two in the case of McGee and Abby, the others left leaving Tony and Gibbs will a brand new pitcher of beer._

"_Well, shit," Tony slurred slightly, "who's the dumbass who ordered another pitcher? I can't drink all that by m'self, Boss!"_

"_**You**__ ordered it, DiNozzo," Gibbs said with a chuckle, "but I'll stay and help you drink it if you like."_

_Tony leaned over until he was mere inches from Gibbs's face and said, "I'd __**really**__ like you to stay. In fact, I really like you, Boss … Gibbs … Jethro. I mean, really like you. You know, like-like, kinda like how I like-liked Cindy Adams in the 5__th__ grade. Man, she was really cute. Wonder what ever happened to her?" _

_Gibbs knew full well how loopy Tony got on painkillers, Lord knows he had witnessed that enough over the years, but he had no idea what he was like drunk. Gibbs usually begged off of team gatherings like this, and had only seen Tony drink a glass or two of champagne at official NCIS functions. He found himself at a complete loss what to do, so he fell back on the only tried and true method he knew to get Tony to shut the hell up. _

"_Owww, Boss!" Tony cried out after Gibbs's hand connected firmly with the back of his head. "Wha zat for?"_

"_DiNozzo," Gibbs said with an exasperated sigh, "do you even have a damn clue what you're saying?"_

"_Of course I do," Tony exclaimed. "I was saying how much I like-like you. Well, more like love you, really." Tony paused and grinned at Gibbs. Not getting a response, Tony dropped his head and said, "Oh. You don't like-like me. S'ok Boss. I get it. I guess I talk too much when I drink. Doesn't mean I don't mean it though. You know, you're really pretty hot, Gibbs! You got these amazing blue eyes, the uber-sexy silver hair, and your ass … mmmmm," Tony trailed off with a moan._

"_DINOZZO," Gibbs barked. He stood abruptly and grabbed Tony's arm to pull him to his feet. "Let's go. You've obviously had more than enough to drink. Let's get you home so you can sleep it off."_

_Tony swayed and was saved from face planting into the table when Gibbs put a strong arm around his waist to hold him up. "Oops. Sorry Boss. Forgot to eat and too much booze. Hey, you wanna go get a pizza with me? I'll buy. You can get whatever you want on your half."_

_Gibbs shook his head and smiled at Tony who stood grinning at him. "Tell you what. We'll pick pizza up on the way to your apartment. Okay?"_

_Pizza and a Nationals game on ESPN that went into extra innings resulted in Gibbs crashing on Tony's couch for the night. The team was thankfully off the next day, and Gibbs knew that Tony would likely wake up with the mother of all hangovers. He was surprised, however, when he awoke to the sound of Tony moving around in his kitchen and whistling as he prepared breakfast. He couldn't believe when he checked his watch to see that it was only 0700._

_Gibbs groaned as he stood up and stretched, his joints protesting loudly after yesterday's exertion. He massaged his right elbow, which was a little sore from pitching, as he walked into the kitchen. Tony, to his amazement, looked fresh as a daisy and showed no outward sign of having a hangover. His hair was damp so he had obviously showered. Gibbs frowned in confusion; he had been absolutely positive that Tony would be pretty much incapacitated for most of the day as he recovered._

_Tony turned when he heard Gibbs come in and beamed at him as he handed him a large steaming mug of dark roast coffee. "Good morning! How do you like your eggs?"_

_Gibbs nodded his thanks and took a long drink before answering, "Uh, scrambled, over-medium; doesn't really matter."_

"_Then scrambled it is," Tony said cheerfully. "Have a seat and I'll have this ready in a few. Paper is on the table. Just leave me the sports section."_

_Gibbs sat as instructed and drank his coffee as he thought back to all of the things Tony had said to him at the bar. He had his suspicions about Tony having seen him covertly flirt with men on a couple of occasions, but he could never work up the nerve to ask him. Gibbs knew one thing; if Tony meant any of what he said, he was the luckiest son of a bitch on earth! _

_Tony brought two plates of eggs, bacon and toast to the table and poured two small glassed of orange juice. He was about to spread strawberry jam on his toast when Gibbs blurted out, "Do you remember any of what you said to me yesterday at Mike's?"_

_Tony carefully placed the knife on his plate and looked Gibbs dead in the eye. "Every damn word of it," he said deliberately and sincerely, "and I meant it all, too."_

_Gibbs just gaped at Tony for a minute until he saw regret, fear, and shame flash in his beautiful green eyes. "I didn't know you felt that way … about me." Deciding it was now or never, Gibbs reached over and grabbed Tony's hand and said tenderly, "Tony. The feeling is totally mutual."_

_End Flashback_

"Okay, I'll tell you, but you have to promise not to get mad," Tony pleaded, trying to look as innocent as possible.

"Just tell me already so we can get back to work and solve this case," Gibbs demanded impatiently as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Palmer and I, well, we kind of had to … borrow Bert for a few days. You know; Abby's farting hippo?" Tony asked with a cringe fully expecting to get head slapped.

Gibbs barked out a laugh shaking his head as he flicked the switch to send the elevator back on its way. "Well, you better have a damn good reason for taking him. Abby is practically tearing her lab apart looking for him. What's this surprise anyway," Gibbs asked.

"You promise you won't tell Abby?" Getting an affirmative nod from Gibbs, who offered his hand for the now customary "pinky swear," Tony leaned in and whispered in his ear.

At the incredulous look on Gibbs's face Tony pleaded, "Please? Come on, it's for Christmas. I couldn't think of anything else to get Abby and neither could the Gremlin, so we're going in on it together." The elevator doors opened at their floor and Gibbs just shook his head and pointed to Tony's desk in a silent command for him to get back to work.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The MCRT's area of the squad room looked too much like Abby's lab for Gibbs's liking but he figured he could tolerate an overly decorated office for a couple of weeks each year if it made Tony happy, besides no one else seemed to mind. Gibbs had to admit that for the first time in many, many years he was actually looking forward to celebrating Christmas now that he had someone to celebrate it with. After losing Shannon and Kelly he made a point of shutting himself down in his basement and drowning his sorrows in bourbon as he thought back to the too few Christmases he had with them. Now that he had Tony, however, he was ready to let go of the heartache and start living again.

Tony and Abby had come into the office the previous Saturday morning to decorate. They had affixed lighted garlands along the tops of the partition walls, placed miniature potted Christmas trees on the team's desks and included a small Menorah on Ziva's, and they even managed to string together enough sets of lights to decorate the stair railings all the way up the mezzanine outside of MTAC.

Gibbs was there that Saturday trying to get caught up on the endless mountain of paperwork on his desk, but soon gave up trying to concentrate on his work as he sat back and watched the two would-be elves as they turned the bullpen into a veritable Christmas wonderland. He nearly laughed out loud when Abby placed a plush set of reindeer antlers on Tony's head. Tony in turn reached into a bag and pulled out an elf hat which he pulled down onto Abby's head. They both turned and grinned in unison at Gibbs while holding up a Santa hat, getting a glare and a stern headshake for their trouble.

Once Gibbs saw that Tony was back in work mode typing up his case report he looked at his calendar and noticed that Christmas was just ten days away. Thankfully it was Friday so he had the weekend to try and find the perfect gift to get Tony for Christmas. He tried to think back to stories he had heard over the years about things Tony had wanted as a kid but never got. His parents had more money than sense when Tony was growing up, but never used any of it to do anything special for their only child.

Suddenly Gibbs recalled the one thing Tony said he had always wanted more than anything. He jumped out of his chair and nearly ran for the back elevator calling over his shoulder, "Go on home, people. Nothing here we can't finish on Monday." Tony, McGee and Ziva looked at each other with matching stunned expressions. It was almost 1700, but regardless of the time Gibbs sending them home when their reports were not finished just did not happen!

"Huh. I wonder what that was all about. Any thoughts Probie," Tony asked McGee, who was busily powering down his computer and shrugging into his coat.

"Not a clue, Tony. You piss Gibbs off or something," McGee asked teasingly with a raised eyebrow and a knowing smirk.

Ziva snickered and sauntered over to Tony's desk. She leaned over the desk making sure that Tony got a good look down her shirt. Tony looked up at her and asked sternly, "You have something to say, Zee-vah?"

"No, Tony. I was just wondering if maybe you would like to go for a drink with me. We have not had a chance to talk lately, and I do not have any plans, so…" she purred seductively before Tony stood up and backed away, abruptly cutting her off.

"Yeah, well I do," he said more forcefully than he had intended as he grabbed his backpack, threw his coat over his arm and quickly headed for the elevator.

McGee yelled for Tony to wait for him before turning to Ziva and saying, "Give it up, Ziva. He's not interested in you."

"Hmmm, maybe not, McGee, but he is hiding something and I want to know what it is," Ziva replied absently looking like she was trying to devise a plan.

"PROBIE, COME ON," Tony yelled from across the room as he held the elevator doors open. McGee quickly grabbed his backpack and jogged over to join Tony in the elevator.

Once the doors shut, Tony sighed and leaned against the back wall letting his head fall back with a thud. "Jesus! Is she ever going to give up, McGee," Tony asked tiredly.

McGee looked at his friend, the closest thing he had to a brother, and sighed. "I don't know, Tony. According to Abby she thinks you two are going to end up together. I know that she's determined to find out what you're hiding. Maybe it's time you just tell her; you know, about you and Gibbs."

Tony looked at McGee and shrugged. "We aren't ready to tell anyone about us yet, McGee. You only know because you let yourself into my apartment that night and found us making out! We both hate hiding, but considering what we do and where we work it could be a problem."

McGee patted Tony's shoulder to show his support and said, "Well, you know I won't tell Ziva, or anyone. I happen to think you and Gibbs are really good for each other. I think Abby might be on to you though, but she hasn't actually said anything."

The doors opened at the garage level and McGee followed Tony out as they walked to their cars. When Tony reached his Mustang he turned and said, "Thanks, McGee. Your support means a lot … to both of us. See you at the party tomorrow night."

Once McGee drove off, Tony pulled out his phone and hit speed dial 1 to call Gibbs. "Hey," he said when Gibbs answered, "what's going on? Oh, okay. Are you coming over when you're done? Cool! Chinese okay tonight? Yeah, call when you leave so I can place our usual order. See you in a while. Hey Gibbs … I love you."

While his car warmed up Tony placed a second call. "Gremlin, you ready to leave yet? You have him? Okay, I'm heading home now so just drop him off on your way. Oh, I had to tell Gibbs. Yeah, he knew we were up to something. Guess Abby's really upset, but she'll get over it when she sees what we did. Cool, bro! I'll be home in ten. 'Kbye."

Abby had just finished shutting down her equipment when Gibbs strolled into the lab. "Hey Abs, I need your help with something. It's, uh, a Christmas surprise … for DiNozzo."

Abby crossed her arms across her chest and grinned at Gibbs. "So tell me Gibbs. You two ever gonna make an announcement about being together?" She laughed when both of his eyebrows shot up. "Oh come on, it's me! You know I have a sixth sense about these things. I figured it out a while ago, but don't you worry Bossman; your secret is safe with me. Now, what can I do for you?"

Gibbs arrived in the parking lot of Tony's apartment building just as Palmer was backing out. He waited until Palmer drove off before getting out of his car. All this sneaking around and hiding was getting tiresome and he wondered if maybe it wasn't time to share their relationship with their close friends. McGee and Abby both knew and seem to be happy for them, and he was sure that Ducky would be as well.

He wasn't too concerned about Palmer knowing but he was concerned about Ziva. She has always flirted with Tony and he used to play along, but since they've been together Tony just tries to ignore her. Ziva, however, seems to be ratcheting it up a couple of notches going from harmless flirting to outright seduction. Gibbs has caught himself growling on more than one occasion at her not so subtle attempts to get Tony's attention. Tony has always politely refused her advances but Gibbs could tell it was starting to wear on him. Maybe tonight he could convince Tony that it was time to come out to those they were closest too; to hell with the consequences.

Gibbs knocked on Tony's door and got a muffled "come on in" in response. He stepped into the living room to find the lights dimmed and soft jazz playing on the stereo. He slipped his coat off and hung it over the back of an armchair before heading to the kitchen. He stopped dead in his tracks at the sight of Tony leaning over and lighting two taper candles ensconced in sterling silver candleholders while wearing nothing but his thick dark green terrycloth bathrobe, which was belted loosely at his waist.

Gibbs licked his lips at seeing the dark chest hair on display and his fingers itched to run through the soft curls. He got a whiff of Tony's cologne and growled; Tony wore it on purpose just to drive him crazy. It was some designer cologne that Gibbs couldn't pronounce and probably couldn't afford either, but the musky and spicy fragrance mixed with Tony's natural scent was a heady combination.

Tony flashed his trademark smile when he looked up to see Gibbs standing there leering at him. "See something you like, Marine," Tony asked seductively as he walked over to stand in front of Gibbs. He could tell that his choice of attire and cologne was having the desired effect as Gibbs's pupils appeared to dilate right before his eyes.

"Oh yeah," Gibbs replied, his voice dropping in register to a sexy baritone that drove Tony wild. He called it Gibbs's "sex voice" and it was having its usual effect on him. Tony felt himself begin to harden as he leaned in to capture Gibbs's lips in a loving kiss.

Tony pulled back cutting the kiss short, earning a growl of protest from Gibbs. Tony chuckled as he tightened the belt on his robe and turned away. "Easy there, Marine. Food is gonna be here any minute and I can't answer the door with a hard on."

Gibbs jerked Tony back against him and whispered in his ear menacingly, "No way am I letting you answer the door wearing **just** your robe either!" He slowly turned Tony back around and placed a hand behind his neck to reel him in for another kiss; it was one of Gibbs's patented 'make-you-all-weak-in-the-knees-and-nearly-pass-out' kisses. Tony surrendered completely and let Gibbs's plunder his mouth until a loud knock on the door eventually broke the spell. Tony's eyes were glazed over with desire as Gibbs reluctantly released him to answer the door.

Tony had come back to his senses by the time Gibbs arrived back in the kitchen a few minutes later. They both filled their plates and sat down to eat while playing footsies under the table. Tony was about to eat a forkful of his noodles and sesame chicken but stopped with the fork in midair to ask, "So, is Abby really upset about Bert?"

Gibbs nodded as he finished chewing the almond duck he had expertly taken from the chopsticks in his hand. "Yeah, she is. I think she's waiting for a ransom note. You and Palmer better hope she appreciates what you're doing. I had to see her about something before I left and told her I had an idea where he was." When Tony's eyes went wide he chuckled, "Relax! I didn't tell her you and Palmer took him. I just assured her he was safe."

Tony grinned and got back to eating his dinner. After a short clean-up of the kitchen when they were finished, Gibbs led Tony into the living room and pulled him down next to him on the deep brown suede leather couch. They held hands and looked deeply into each other's eyes until Gibbs couldn't take it anymore. The combination of the music, soft lights and Tony just being dead sexy was enough to stoke the desire Gibbs felt for the gorgeous man beside him. He looked from Tony's sparkling green eyes to his lips and back again earning a sweet smile before he closed the short distance between them taking Tony's lips in a passionate kiss that made Tony moan.

Tony loved it when Gibbs got all alpha-male and took control like this. Just knowing that the man he had loved from a distance for so many years wanted him was more than Tony could have ever dreamed. Gibbs in turn loved how Tony surrendered to him, letting Gibbs take him to new heights each and every time they made love. They were equal partners when it came to sex; neither of them was solely the top or the bottom. They both reveled in making each other fly no matter which role they were playing on any given occasion. Most nights if they weren't too tired from a long day at work they could easily go two rounds, each of them receiving and giving pleasure in equal measure.

Before long Gibbs began shifting in his seat to try and relieve some of the pressure on his aching cock. Tony turned him on like no one else ever had and sometimes all it took was a look to make him hard as steel. Tony broke the kiss and panted for air before placing a hand gently over the impressive bulge in Gibbs's khaki Dockers.

Tony began nibbling on Gibbs's neck and slowly worked his way up to place a gentle nip on his earlobe. Gibbs groaned at the sensation, grateful that Tony had found that particular hot spot early on in their relationship. Tony nipped again before saying in a breathy whisper, "Let's go to bed so I can take care of that for you." Tony finished off with a flourish of tiny licks to the shell of Gibbs's ear getting a full body shiver as his reward.

Tony gracefully stood and held out his hand to Gibbs, who accepted it and allowed Tony to pull him to his feet. As soon as he was standing Gibbs pulled Tony into a fierce hug and held him tight before murmuring, "God, what you do to me Tony. I want you so bad right now."

As soon as they reached the bedroom Tony attacked Gibbs wanting and needing to feel skin on skin contact. Gibbs pulled both of his shirts over his head while Tony went to work on his pants and boxers, and then with one pull to the belt on Tony's robe both men were blessedly naked and fully erect. Unable to stop himself, Gibbs pulled Tony to him and took his lips in a passion-filled kiss that made Tony's head swim.

Suddenly without warning, Tony pulled back and dropped to his knees and proceeded to swallow Gibbs whole barely giving him time to brace himself against the dresser for the onslaught of Tony's mouth working expertly over his rock hard cock. Gibbs used every bit of control he could muster to hold off his orgasm as he looked down and watched his cock slide in and out of Tony's mouth. Tony looked up through his long eyelashes and saw Gibbs watching him, and he could tell that Gibbs was fighting not to come. Tony winked at him then slowly brought a hand up and gave Gibbs's lightly furred balls a gentle tug causing Gibbs to gasp.

No longer able to hold on, Gibbs threw his head back and grasped Tony's shoulders for support as he poured everything he had down Tony's throat. Tony's whole body suddenly shuddered as he drank Gibbs's cum down and licked him clean. Tony chuckled when he finally released Gibbs's flaccid cock and looked up at him with a sly grin. "Oops. I guess that turned us both on." Gibbs looked down and was surprised to see evidence on the polished hardwood floor that Tony had climaxed while giving him the best blow job he'd ever had. Gibbs pulled Tony to his feet and they both burst out laughing while holding each other as they recovered.

They cuddled up in Tony's bed and got down to some good old fashioned making out. It wasn't long before desire took over and both men were again hard and leaking as they kissed and caressed each other as the passion built. Tony purposefully hit all of Gibbs's hot spots knowing full well that he was about to release the animal side of him, which was exactly what he wanted and needed. "You ready to fuck me now, Marine," Tony purred as he waggled his eyebrows while stroking himself.

"On your hands and knees," Gibbs growled in response as his fully erect cock began to demand attention. Tony grinned brightly and complied instantly after pulling the tube of lube from under his pillow and tossing it over his shoulder to Gibbs.

Gibbs spent several minutes carefully stretching and preparing Tony for his large cock, ignoring Tony's pleas to "hurry the hell up". Gibbs knew what Tony wanted, but he didn't want to risk hurting him. Finally, when Gibbs was satisfied that Tony was lubed and ready he lined up to Tony's opening and plunged all the way in with one thrust. Tony gasped at the overwhelming feeling of Gibbs filling him and nearly came on the spot.

"Oh shit, Gibbs," Tony moaned loudly, "I want you … hard and fast."

"I know you do, and that's exactly what you're gonna get," Gibbs growled after stilling for a moment so Tony could adjust. He was so turned on he didn't know if he could go slow and easy if his life depended on it, so he gave in to Tony's wishes and took him almost brutally. The only sounds in the room were the slapping of skin on skin, loud moaning and cursing from both men as they raced toward completion. Gibbs reached around to stroke Tony's cock only to have his hand slapped away.

"No. Make me come with just your cock," Tony panted out before moaning in ecstasy.

Gibbs held Tony's hips firmly and adjusted his angle slightly as he relentlessly pounded into his body. Tony throwing his head back with a loud gasp was a sure sign that Gibbs had nailed his prostate. Gibbs could feel the all too familiar tingling in his spine and knew that a mind-blowing orgasm was soon to follow.

"Fuck, Tony. I need you to come for me. I'm so close but I wanna feel you come with me buried in your ass," Gibbs panted as he squeezed his eyes tightly shut in an effort to maintain some semblance of control.

Gibbs's order was enough to push Tony to the edge, and only two more powerful thrusts were needed to propel him over it. "Oh my GOD!" Tony screamed as his orgasm hit him causing him to shoot his release all over his chest and abs. Gibbs gave in and followed mere seconds later as Tony contracted around his cock, pouring his release deep inside Tony's body.

They collapsed in a sweaty, panting heap and it was several minutes before either of them was able to speak. Tony finally managed to croak out, "Damn, Gibbs!"

"Yeah," was all Gibbs could manage in response.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Tony was surprised the next morning to wake up at 0700 alone. Weekend mornings when they were off rotation were for cuddling or slow, lazy morning love making. The sheets on the other side of the bed were cool to the touch so it was obvious that Gibbs had been up for a while. Tony threw the covers off and winced slightly at the familiar ache in his ass when he sat up. He pulled his robe on before heading down the hallway only to find no sign of Gibbs anywhere. He noticed a piece of paper on top of his Mr. Coffee, so he headed for the kitchen. He poured a cup as he looked at the note, which read simply, _"Back soon with donuts. Love, LJG"_

Still a bit sticky from last night and definitely smelling like sex, Tony headed for the bathroom and a nice long hot shower. He let his robe drop to the floor and stepped into the shower, letting the hot water cascade over his aching body and sighed as he felt the knots in his muscles relax. When the water began to cool, he grabbed a thick fluffy towel and dried himself off. As far as Tony knew they didn't have plans to go anywhere, so he pulled on a pair of old, faded, comfy jeans and a Marine Corp sweatshirt he had nicked from Gibbs's place a month ago.

He grabbed a thick pair of socks from the dresser before heading back out to the kitchen to refill his now cold coffee. He was sitting at the table putting on his socks when Gibbs came in and dropped a big box of assorted donuts on the table in front of him.

Tony opened the box then favored Gibbs with a dazzling smile. "You really do love me," he said sweetly before picking up a Bavarian crème filled long john and tearing off a huge bite. Tony noticed Gibbs just standing there grinning at him and narrowed his eyes. With his mouth still full of half-chewed donut goodness, Tony mumbled, "Whasso fummy?"

Gibbs cocked his head and glared at him disapprovingly, and Tony had the good grace to finish chewing and swallowing, chasing the bite down with a sip of his coffee before saying abashedly, "Sorry. What's so funny?"

Gibbs chuckled and said, "That's better. Nothing. Just happy this morning." Tony thought that Gibbs seemed way too cheerful but he decided to let it go for now and concentrate on his donut, sinking his teeth in for another huge bite.

"We need to head out and do some shopping," Gibbs said plainly, nearly causing Tony to choke. _Gibbs shopping? Interesting concept, _Tony thought_._

"Shopping? You? For what," Tony asked.

"Need to finish Christmas shopping. I need to pick up McGee's knife and that Goth teddy bear I let you talk me into getting for Abby. I got a bottle of Ducky's favorite brandy. Should probably get something for Palmer and I'll need your help with that one. Any idea what I should get for Ziva," Gibbs asked while watching Tony for a reaction.

"Other than a clue, I have no idea. I got her a sweater and a wool scarf. I still need to get something for McGee, though." Tony sighed, "I don't know what to do about Ziva, Jethro. She just won't take a hint. McGee's been running interference, but he said she wants to find out what I'm hiding."

Gibbs took Tony's hand and said, "I think it's time to tell them Tony. Abby told me yesterday that she figured it out. She's thrilled, of course, so since Abby and McGee already know and don't have a problem with it, we should probably tell Ducky, Palmer and Ziva. What do you think?"

Tony searched Gibbs's eyes for a minute before nodding. "Fine by me, if you think they can handle it. Palmer already knows, by the way, and thinks it's great. I kind of let it slip accidently a while back, but he's too scared of you to say anything. We can tell Ducky and Ziva together. I know Ducky will be happy for us, if **he** hasn't already figured it out, but I am worried about Ziva."

Tony finished his donut and got up from the table and stood in front of Gibbs. Tony held his arms open and Gibbs stood and walked into a warm embrace. "I love you, Jethro."

Gibbs managed to pull Tony closer and replied softly, "I love you too, Tony. Now come on, we have things to do. Don't forget the office Christmas party is tonight."

What followed was nearly three hours at the nearest mall where they managed to deal with the crowds and long lines without too much grumbling from Gibbs. Except for the one gift Gibbs needed Abby's help with, he had Tony's other gifts already wrapped and under the Christmas tree, and all of Tony's gifts for Gibbs were there as well. The team was on call on Christmas Day, so they agreed to meet at Gibbs's house on Christmas Eve for dinner and to exchange gifts.

Gibbs tugged at the collar of his shirt the whole ride up to the squad room where the NCIS Christmas party was in full swing. Tony smacked his hand away because he was getting tired of having to straightening Gibbs's tie for him. "Dammit, Gibbs! You act like you've never worn a suit and tie before," Tony grumbled.

Gibbs hated dressing up in a suit unless he was going to a wedding or a funeral. If chinos and a polo shirt were acceptable for work then they should be okay for a party at work. Tony, on the other hand, had pulled out his favorite Armani power suit. It was black with a silver pin stripe that he wore with a white Gucci dress shirt and a silver Armani tie. Shiny black Farragamo shoes and Hugo Boss belt completed the ensemble. Gibbs was wearing the nicest of his three suits, an off the rack black suit with a dark gray dress shirt and deep red tie, finished off with a Sears belt and polished dress shoes. Gibbs looked pretty nice, but Tony always figured he would be dead damn sexy in some designer clothes. He smirked to himself knowing that several shirts, belts and ties from his favorite men's clothiers were already wrapped and under the tree. Tony stepped off of the elevator behind Gibbs when it reached their floor carrying a large gift bag that he held close to him lest anyone discover what was inside.

Gibbs had convinced Tony that he should go ahead and give Abby her gift tonight instead of making her wait another week. Tony called Palmer and he agreed that Abby was less likely to kill them if she got Bert back sooner rather than later. They agreed to meet up and pull Abby aside at 2100 to give her their gift. Tony stashed the bag in the bottom drawer of the file cabinet by his desk and covered it with some of the spare shirts that he kept on hand in case of an emergency.

Tony and Gibbs split up and mingled with various co-workers being careful not to give themselves away. Being a totally social creature Tony worked the room like a pro. He could talk to anyone at any time about pretty much anything. Several of the ladies in the room attempted to sidle up to him, but he would always manage to excuse himself and step away. Years ago he would have latched on to the first woman to show any interest but now that he had everything he ever wanted with Gibbs, those days were over for good.

Gibbs, a self-proclaimed antisocial bastard, stuck to chatting with his pals Agents Balboa and Moretti, both of whom had a wealth of war zone stories to share. No sir, no idle chit-chat or small talk for Leroy Jethro Gibbs if he could at all avoid it!

Most of the people in attendance had gathered in the team's bullpen area, due in large part to the festive decorations. McGee, dressed in gray dress slacks and a red sweater, played a Christmas CD on his computer filling the room with cheerful holiday music. Abby was by his side dressed in a dark green tea-length dress, red and green shawl, and a pair of red patent leather Jimmy Choo heels. Gone was the studded dog collar in favor of a string of pearls and matching drop earrings; McGee's birthday gift to her. Tony made his way over and bowed to Abby as he took her hand and placed a kiss on the back of it. McGee rolled his eyes at the over-the-top display of charm, but he knew it was just Tony being Tony.

McGee was about to take a drink of his eggnog but stopped with the cup half-way to his lips. "Oh my God," he said slowly nodding in the direction of the elevator. Tony and Abby both turned to see Ziva dropping her black wool coat on the file cabinet behind her desk to reveal the ridiculously short sparkly silver dress she wore for the occasion. Tony frowned deeply when Ziva saw him and sauntered over in her black stiletto heels while leering at him.

"Hello, Tony," Ziva practically purred as she invaded Tony's personal space and ran a hand up and down his arm, paying no attention to Abby and McGee who stood gaping at her. "You look very nice tonight, Tony. Very sexy," she whispered seductively in his ear. She attempted to hook her arm through his, but Tony jerked his arm away.

Thankfully, Palmer picked that very moment to join the group. "Hey guys, Merry Christmas. Oh, and Happy Hanukah to you, Ziva," Palmer greeted cheerfully completely ignorant of the tension between Tony and Ziva. "Hey Tony, I have to take off early, so is now a good time?"

Tony let out a sigh of relief and smiled, "Perfect timing Palmer. Be right back." He pulled the file cabinet drawer opened and retrieved the gift bag. He turned and nearly ran into Gibbs who had witnessed the spectacle of Ziva's arrival.

"Everything okay, Tony," Gibbs asked quietly. "Ziva seems to be on a mission tonight."

Tony rolled his eyes and replied, "Yeah, she is. Thank God Palmer showed up when he did. Hey, we're gonna give this to Abby now since Palmer has to leave early. You coming with?"

Gibbs grinned and nodded. "I better be there to keep Abby from killing you. Let's go."

Gibbs did his best to stay between Tony and Ziva without being too obvious about it as Tony handed the bag to Abby. Ziva narrowed her eyes as Gibbs subtly moved to block her every time she tried to get closer to Tony.

"Um, Abs. Palmer and I got you something but we didn't want to wait a whole week until Christmas. Go ahead and look … you'll see why," Tony said as he beamed at Abby, who looked warily between him and Palmer.

She opened the bag and gasped as she pulled her beloved Bert out and hugged him tight making the stuffed hippo fart loudly, which got the attention of everyone who happened to be within earshot. "Oh my baby is safe," she exclaimed happily before punching Tony hard in the arm.

"Owww, Abby," Tony whined, "why did you hit me instead of Palmer? He was in on it too!" Tony rubbed his upper arm and grinned as Abby meted out her own brand of justice and punched Palmer just as hard. McGee and Gibbs just stood there and laughed while Ziva stood silently unsure of what was going on.

"Abs, do you notice anything **different** about Bert," Tony asked mischievously as he nodded at Bert.

Abby's hand came up to cover her mouth in reaction to the stunning gemstone encrusted collar that now adorned his neck. "Oh my gosh," she said softly, "it's … it's beautiful! Oh you guys!" She hugged Tony and Palmer before turning on McGee's desk light so that she could see her gift better.

Palmer smiled brightly and high-fived Tony. "Tony and I had it made with everyone's birthstone. It's a choker… um, for you to wear actually."

Tony chimed offering, "Yeah, we just needed to borrow Bert as a model. Sorry we worried you by taking him. Please don't be mad."

At Tony and Palmer's identical little boy pouts, Abby sighed and said, "Of course I'm not mad. This was sooooo sweet of you." She carefully removed the choker from around Bert's neck and handed it to McGee. "Will you put it on me, please," she asked sweetly as she removed the pearl choker. McGee smiled and carefully placed it around her neck making sure that the clasp was secure before stepping back to admire his work.

"Ah! My dear friends," Ducky greeted cheerfully as he appeared from around the corner. "What have we here?"

"Yes, I would like to know as well," Ziva said coolly.

Gibbs and Tony exchanged a nervous glance and a nod. "Okay, everyone with me," Gibbs said as he walked toward a back hallway that was a bit more private. As expected everyone followed though Ziva hung back a bit before joining them.

Tony and Gibbs stood side by side and faced their friends. "Ducky … Ziva, there is something you need to know. This is not where or how we wanted to tell you, but we decided it can't wait any longer," Tony said.

At Ducky's concerned look Tony sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Okay, here goes. Gibbs … Jethro and I are seeing each other. McGee and Palmer found out by accident and I've just been informed that Abby figured it out. We wanted to tell you all next Friday over dinner, but…."

Tony was suddenly cut off by Ziva, who asked incredulously, "Together? As in dating? This must be a joke!"

Ducky smiled and stepped up to Gibbs and Tony with his hand extended, effectively cutting Ziva off. "Well, I figured you two would come to your senses eventually. Congratulations to the both of you. May I ask how long you have been seeing each other, as you say?"

Gibbs eyed Ziva, who looked both stunned and angry, but answered Ducky, "Since the softball game in July. Agent David, are you going to have a problem with this?"

Ziva straightened up and said, "Of course not, Gibbs! I am just surprised, what with all of Tony's stories. If you are both happy then I am happy for you. I just wish you would have told me sooner." She glared at Tony who nodded his understanding.

"I'm sorry, Ziva. I should have told you sooner, but I didn't know how. Forgive me," he asked softly.

Ziva snorted before giving Gibbs and Tony each a kiss on the cheek. "Of course you are forgiven, both of you."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Gibbs was half way to Stillwater, Pennsylvania to pick up his father Jack to bring him back to D.C. for the week of Christmas. Jackson Gibbs was pretty spry for a man his age, but Gibbs didn't want him making the four-hour plus drive on snow covered roads. It was Tuesday, and he had taken the day off from work, much to the team's shock, to make the 210-mile trip leaving Tony in charge.

He pulled off on an exit after seeing a sign for a truck stop and convenience store. Not only did he need to gas the car, he needed coffee. He climbed out of the car and pulled the collar of his coat up around his neck to ward of the blast of arctic air that was blowing in from the northwest. A major snow storm had been forecast for the D.C. metro area for tomorrow evening and was expected to drop upwards of a foot of heavy wet snow on the area.

Once the gas tank was full, Gibbs headed into the store to use the restroom and grab a snack for the road. The store sold big thermal travel mugs, so he picked one of those up and filled it to the brim with fresh coffee. After paying at the counter, Gibbs took his coffee and a bag of chips he bought back to the company sedan he "borrowed" for the trip. He didn't want to take a chance on driving the Challenger in case the storm hit earlier than expected. A car with its wide tires, horsepower and torque was pretty much worthless on slick or snowy roads.

Two more hours on the road and he would be pulling up to his father's general store on Main Street, which meant he had two hours to figure out how to tell his dad about him and Tony. He knew that Jack was fond of Tony; they had hit it off immediately when Tony showed up during a case that took the team to Stillwater. In fact, for some unknown reason, Jack had given Tony a cream colored cable knit cardigan sweater, which Tony still wore when it was chilly.

Gibbs knew his father wasn't a bigot and was generally pretty open minded. He had after all named his only son after his best friend Leroy Jethro Morse, a black man he had known all his life and who was also his business partner when the store first opened. However, the subject of same-sex relationships had never come up before; it was never an issue because until Jethro met and fell for Tony he was the straightest man on earth!

Gibbs walked into the store to find Jack giving last minute instructions to a couple of hometown boys he trusted to mind the store while he was gone. Both had worked for Jack part-time after school and on weekends for a couple of years and were glad to help out whenever they could. Jackson Gibbs may not be the wealthiest man in town, but he was the most loved and respected man in Stillwater.

Less than an hour later Gibbs pulled out his phone and called Tony as he slowly pulled the sedan away from the curb. "DiNozzo, just wanted to let you know we just left Stillwater and should be back in D.C. by 1700," he said flatly, not giving anything away to his passenger.

Tony chuckled on the other end of the line. "Got it Boss! I take it you haven't told Jack yet. You don't think he'll try and jump out of a moving car do you," Tony teased, though not knowing how Jack would take the news had him on edge and nervous all day.

"No, DiNozzo, I don't," Gibbs chuckled in reply. "We're about to reach the highway. What's the latest weather report?"

Tony called up the local weather radar on his computer and after a few moments humming said, "You should be good. Light snow north and west, but you should stay ahead of it." Tony turned his chair so that he was facing the back partition of his cubicle and said softly, "Just don't drive like an idiot please? Promise?"

Unable to stop himself, Gibbs smiled and replied affectionately, "I promise, Tony. I'll call when we get close to D.C." Gibbs flipped his phone shut and tossed it in the never used ashtray in the center console. He didn't notice Jack smirking at him from the passenger seat as he pulled his travel mug from the cup holder and took a big gulp of coffee. He was setting it back in the holder when he heard Jack snickering.

Gibbs glanced over to see his father grinning at him and shaking his head and barked, "What?"

"You think you're fooling me, Leroy? You may be a federal investigator son, but I'm pretty damn good at reading people myself. You got something going on with Tony, don't you," Jack asked with a mischievous smirk. "Oh, don't bother trying to deny it, Leroy! That boy is all you talk about, and I see the looks between the two of you when you think no one's lookin'."

Gibbs had to force himself to keep his eyes on the road instead of staring and gaping at Jack. He held the steering wheel tightly with both hands as he chanced at quick glance at Jack, who was still grinning at him. "And if I was, you'd be okay with that," Gibbs asked nervously.

"Have you ever known me to be a bigot or narrow-minded? I figured something was going on about a year ago." Jack paused for a moment before asking, "Have you told anyone else about the two of you? "

Gibbs sighed and flashed his famous half smile at Jack. "Okay Dad, you're right. Tony and I have been together for a while … just over six months. The team knows and probably most of the people at NCIS, and so far everyone from the Director on down has been supportive. I wanted to tell you, but I didn't want to do it over the phone."

Jack slapped his knee and declared, "Well damn, I'm happy for you, son! You've been alone too damn long!"

"Thanks, Dad," was all Jethro could get past the lump in his throat.

"I know it's none of my business, Leroy, but have you always liked men," Jackson asked with a hint of a blush blooming on his cheeks.

Jethro chuckled and shook his head. "Nope, Tony's the one and only. The idea of being with a man never crossed my mind until he breezed into my life."

"What about all the women Tony brags about," Jack asked skeptically. "He got some men mixed up in there too?"

"Nope, just me," Gibbs declared proudly.

They spent rest of the drive to D.C. talking about cases, politics, and even the latest small town scandal rocking Stillwater. Jackson asked about the team and their plans for the holiday. He was looking forward to spending some time with the people closest to Jethro. He and Ducky had hit it off the last time he was in D.C., and Jack was looking forward to the two of them sitting by the fire with a couple of snifters of brandy and sharing new stories.

Gibbs saw the sign for the exit that would take them into D.C. and toward Alexandria, so he pulled out his phone to call Tony. He gave Jack a wicked grin and said, "Hit 1 for Tony's number. Tell him we're twenty minutes out."

Jack chuckled as he pressed the button and held the phone to his year. He laughed when Tony answered on the second ring with, "Where the hell are you? You almost home yet?"

"Now calm down, Tony. We're twenty minutes away. Just took the Alexandria turnoff," Jack stated laughing again when Tony shrieked.

"Jack! Man, that's not funny! You scared the hell out of me," Tony squeaked before regaining his composure enough to announce, "I'm starving over here. I'm ordering in. I'm thinking Chinese. That okay with you, Jack?"

Jack chuckled again and said, "That's fine Tony. Orange duck for me. I'm sure you already know what Leroy likes."

Tony swallowed hard and managed to stammer, "Uh, um, yeah. Uh, Jack, um, I'll see you guys soon."

Jack flipped the phone closed and shook his head. "He sure makes me laugh, Leroy. I like him and I'm happy to welcome him into the family."

Ten minutes later Gibbs pulled the Charger into the driveway and popped the trunk release. "You go on in and I'll bring in your bags," he said with a nod toward the front door. He waited a few moments and watched as his dad slowly climbed the few steps up to the front door. He saw that Tony looked nervous as he opened the door and stepped aside so Jack could enter. Tony left the door open for Gibbs, who stepped inside a couple of minutes later.

He couldn't contain a smile when he saw Jack hugging Tony for all he was worth, nearly squeezing the breath out of him. His smile got even bigger when he heard his dad say, "Welcome to the family, Tony … son."

Gibbs broke the spell by dropping Jack's bags on the floor by the stairs. He walked over and managed to pry Tony away from Jack and give him a brief but loving hug of his own. Jack smiled at them and turned toward the kitchen where he knew a fresh pot of coffee would be waiting.

Gibbs held Tony's face in his hands and kissed him. "You okay, babe," he asked affectionately as he searched the deep green eyes he loved so much.

"I'm great now that you're home. I take it Jack is okay, I mean, with us?" Tears suddenly started spilling from Tony's eyes and he managed to whisper, "He called me son!" Gibbs pulled him close and held him as Tony cried softly, overwhelmed by the love and acceptance he received from Jack since his own father never gave a damn about him.

Jack cleared his throat as a warning before coming back into the living room and carefully sitting down in Gibbs's recliner. He took a few sips of coffee before finally demanding in his usual no nonsense manner, "Okay, enough with the crying already. Good Lord! So when the heck is dinner getting here, anyway? Leroy wouldn't stop on the way here and I haven't eaten since breakfast. I sure hope you ordered extra Tony, because I have seen you eat!"

Tony looked at Jack's combined amused and exasperated expression and suddenly doubled over with laughter. "DiNozzo!" Gibbs barked, following up with a firm head slap, "snap out of it!"

As expected, Tony immediately stopped laughing and quickly sobered as he rubbed the back of his head. "I'm sorry, but your dad cracks me up!" Within seconds Tony and Jack both burst out with the giggles causing Jethro to roll his eyes at both of them.

"Thank God," Jethro muttered in relief when the doorbell rang signaling the arrival of the food Tony had ordered. He paid the delivery driver and gave him a generous tip before taking three bags from him and closing the door with his foot. "Christ, DiNozzo! Did you order the whole damn menu, or did you invite half the neighborhood for dinner and forget to tell me," he asked as he set the three heavy bags on the kitchen counter.

Jack sat at the table and chuckled as Tony smiled innocently at Gibbs as he pulled plates from the cupboard. "I'm still a growing boy, and my boss is a hard ass bastard so I have to keep up my strength." Tony's eyes went wide in mock fear and he quickly stepped away when he saw Gibbs's right hand start to twitch, which was a well-known warning sign that another head slap was imminent.

Tony took Jack upstairs after dinner and helped get him set up in the guest room. He was still a bit nervous about sleeping with Gibbs while Jack was staying there. Sensing that Tony was uncomfortable, Jack stepped up and grabbed Tony by his shoulders and looking him dead in the eye said, "I want you to listen to me, son. I've liked you since the day you and that little Abby showed up in my store and now I like you even more. You make Leroy happy. He's told me a lot about you, and I know he loves you very much. If you love him half as much, well then you two are truly blessed."

Tony swallowed past the lump in his throat. He took a deep breath and managed to say softly, "I've never truly loved anyone but him, Jack."

Jack chuckled and patted Tony's arms. "Well good! Now maybe you can stop being so dang nervous around me. Now go. I'm gonna turn in and give you and Leroy some quiet time. I'll see you boys in the morning. Good night, son," he finished with a wink.

Tony smiled fondly and replied, "Night Jack. I'm really glad you're here."

With a smile firmly in place, Tony left and closed the door behind him. He looked up and was startled seeing Gibbs leaning against the wall outside the door. As they headed for the stairs Gibbs said, "He's right you know. I do love you very much."

Jack was used to getting up at the crack of dawn, and today was no different. He headed downstairs to find freshly brewed coffee. He found the coffee mugs and pulled one down and poured himself a cup. Like Gibbs he took his coffee strong and black as tar. He sat the mug on the kitchen table before shuffling to the front door to retrieve the morning newspaper from the front step. "Damn weatherman," he grumbled seeing that it was already snowing heavily much earlier than forecasted.

Jack settled in drinking his coffee and reading the paper. After about an hour, and two more cups, he decided to treat the boys to a hearty breakfast. He rummaged through the refrigerator and found everything he needed. He found a skillet and emptied a package of bacon into it and set it on the burner. After a brief search he found a large bowl and broke several eggs into it. Deciding to make French toast, he added milk and cinnamon and used a fork to whip it all together. He found a bag of potatoes in the pantry and set about washing and chopping them.

Jack was whistling a Christmas tune as he worked unaware that he now had an audience. When he stopped whistling for a moment Tony began to clap. Jack turned and was greeted by Gibbs and Tony standing in the doorway grinning at him.

"Morning boys," he greeted with a chuckle and a hint of a blush on his cheeks. "Have a seat you two. I'll have breakfast on the table in a minute."

"Jack," Tony protested as he walked over to the stove, "you didn't have to do all this! Tony pulled down Jethro's favorite Marine Corp coffee mug and filled it almost to the brim. He handed it off to Jethro with a smile before preparing a cup for himself using copious amounts of hazelnut creamer, earning a headshake and chuckle from Jack. Ignoring the apparent criticism from yet another Gibbs man about his coffee preferences, he poured the last tiny remnants down the drain and started a fresh pot.

Tony pulled clean plates out of the dishwasher while Gibbs helped carry over all of the food Jack had cooked over to the table. The three men loaded up their plates and dug in with gusto. "Damn Jack, this is really good," Tony said around a mouthful of fried potatoes.

They ate in companionable silence for several minutes before Jack broke the silence. "Your weatherman is an idiot, Leroy," Jack announced between bites. "Thought this storm wasn't coming in until later tonight. It's already coming down out there."

Gibbs pulled back the curtain on one of the windows in the dining room and frowned at the sight of what looked like three inches of snow already covering everything as far as the eye could see. "Better eat up, DiNozzo. Looks like we're gonna be doing some serious shoveling."

While Jack washed up the breakfast dishes, Gibbs and Tony rummaged through the coat closet for their warmest down coats, hats, gloves, scarves and boots. They made their way out to the garage, and satisfied that Tony was properly bundled up against the cold Jethro thrust a shovel into his hand. He hit the button to raise the garage door and nodded at the sizable drift that had already formed in the driveway.

"You know, a smart person would buy a damn snow blower, Jethro," Tony grumbled after several minutes of scooping up the heavy wet snow, "because this really sucks!" The answer to that comment was a well aimed snowball to the back of his head. Tony turned and glared at Gibbs who grinned innocently at him, but then laughed when he saw Jack standing at the front window watching them and shaking his head ruefully at their antics.

While Tony worked to clear the pathway leading to the front porch, Gibbs retrieved a big bag of salt from the garage and sprinkled a liberal amount onto the now snow-free driveway, sidewalks and the front steps. With the job done, at least for the time being, Gibbs and Tony stomped the snow off in the garage before coming in to find that Jack had started a fire in the fireplace. Jack was in the kitchen waiting for them and ordered the two of them to drop their wet clothes in the laundry room and then to go sit by the fire to warm up. He came out a few minutes later with a cup of coffee for Gibbs and a steaming mug of homemade hot chocolate for Tony.

"Wow, thanks Jack. You even found the little marshmallows," Tony said grinning around the rim of the mug as he blew across it to cool it off before taking a tentative sip. "Mmmm … perfect!"

Jack went back and retrieved hot chocolate for himself and sat in the recliner watching his son and Tony as they sat facing each other on the hearth. Gibbs smiled warmly at Tony and reached a hand up to run through the soft hair at his temple. Tony smiled back and took Gibbs's hand in his and entwined their fingers.

Jack watched the intimate display before clearing his throat to break the spell. "Well, here's to you two," he said with a bright smile while saluting Jethro and Tony with his mug.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Jack set to work putting the finishing touches on the toys Gibbs was hand crafting for the annual NCIS toy drive while Gibbs and Tony were at work. He got started right after breakfast each morning and except for a short break for lunch didn't stop until he heard "the boys" get home in the evening. Jack was enjoying his visit immensely, and was glad that Tony was getting more comfortable around him. They talked over mugs of Jack's homemade hot chocolate and played gin rummy while Gibbs holed up down in the basement in the evenings.

Thursday evening Jack came upstairs to start cooking dinner and was surprised to find Gibbs alone in the kitchen pouring himself a cup of coffee. "Hey son, where's Tony," Jack asked with a frown, "you two have a fight or something?"

Gibbs chuckled. "Nope, he's at his place. Said he some things to take care of, but he'll be over tomorrow with the rest of the team for Christmas Eve." Seeing that Jack still looked confused, Gibbs rolled his eyes and stated simply, "He doesn't live here, Dad, at least not yet. I'm, uh, hoping that will change though."

Meanwhile across town Tony popped the lid off of a bottle of beer, put a frozen pizza in the oven and called McGee. "Hey Probie, I need to borrow your truck tomorrow. I gotta pick up Gibbs's last Christmas present and it won't exactly fit in my car. I dunno, right after breakfast. Yeah, I have to get over to Gibbs's before noon to start making my world famous lasagna for dinner. You're all still coming over right? Huh, okay cool! I'll be here waiting for you. Thanks Probie." Tony hung up and grinned to himself.

Tony walked into the house just before noon smiling and whistling "Jingle Bells" but soon stopped when he realized that no one else was home. He shrugged out of his coat and hung it on the coat rack and toed out of his boots. On his way to the kitchen he turned on Gibbs' old but functional stereo in the living room and found a radio station playing nothing but Christmas music.

He poured himself a cup of coffee and started making a huge pot of his homemade sauce for the lasagna. Tony loved to cook, and since no self-respecting Italian would ever use sauce from a jar he set to work chopping a small mountain of fresh tomatoes, onions, garlic, mushrooms, and green peppers he had retrieved from the refrigerator. He then browned two pounds of Italian sausage while the onions and garlic sautéed in another pan. Once everything was combined he added parsley, oregano and sweet basil, testing it several times until he was satisfied. He gave the pot a good stir and turned down the heat so that the sauce could simmer slowly, making the whole house smell great in the process. He quickly made the ricotta cheese mixture and put it in the refrigerator. He had picked up fresh lasagna noodles and two loaves of garlic bread at a local Italian shop on his way over.

Tony was cleaning up the kitchen and smiled when he heard the garage door go up Gibbs' car pull into the garage. A few moments later Gibbs and Jack came in from the garage grumbling greetings to Tony before making a b-line for the coffee maker.

Tony leaned back against the sink and laughed at the two of them. "You know, I think this coffee addiction thing must be genetic."

When both Gibbs men were sufficiently caffeinated, Jack sampled the sauce and gave Tony an approving nod while Gibbs gave Tony a proper "I really missed you" kiss.

Ziva and Palmer both showed up at 1400 loaded down with food and gifts; Ziva brought a vegetable tray and a bottle of wine, and Palmer brought a big container of assorted Christmas cookies he had baked the night before. McGee and Abby showed up a few minutes later with crackers, cheese and beer. Ducky was not far behind with a bottle of wine and a bottle of his and Jack's favorite brandy.

The food offerings were set out on the dining room table for everyone to snack on until dinner time while the gifts were placed under the tree in the corner of the living room. Jack found a couple of crystal tumblers and joined Ducky and his bottle of brandy by the fire. The rest of the team gathered around snacking, talking, and enjoying just being able to spend time together since they couldn't be with their families.

At 1600, Ziva walked into the kitchen to find Tony busy assembling two huge pans of lasagna and cleared her throat. "Tony, I want to apologize for my … behavior recently. I did not know that you were in a serious relationship with anyone, especially not with Gibbs. McGee told me that you were not interested in me and I should have listened to him. I am sorry."

Tony leaned against the counter while wiping his hands on a towel and said, "It's okay, Ziva. Look, I should have told you earlier, but Gibbs and I weren't ready to tell anyone. I'm sorry we kept it from you so long." Ziva smiled and kissed his cheek before turning to leave the kitchen. She turned back when Tony called out to her, "Hey Ziva, Happy Hanukah."

"Merry Christmas to you, Tony," she replied with a chuckle before joining the others in the adjacent dining room.

After dinner was finished and the kitchen was sufficiently cleaned up, everyone gathered in the living room and staked out a spot for the gift exchange. In addition to food, everyone brought gifts which they had placed under the large Christmas tree. Abby donned her elf hat and soon hugs, handshakes and thank yous filled the room as gifts were opened. Tony and Gibbs held most of their gifts to each other back wanting to open them later when they were alone.

Tony grinned at Gibbs and said, "I got something for you." Tony stood up from his seat next to Gibbs on the couch and smacked McGee on the back of the head as he walked past him. "Let's go Probie." McGee glared at Tony but stood from his spot on the floor next to Abby and dutifully followed him out to the garage. A few minutes later Tony and McGee wheeled a huge Craftsman snow blower adorned with a big red bow and tinsel into the living room.

Gibbs laughed before kissing Tony, who looked way too pleased with himself. "Thank you, Tony," Gibbs said as he wiped tears of laughter from his eyes. He then smirked knowingly at Tony, who narrowed his eyes wondering what Gibbs was up to. "Abby! You're up," Gibbs called out still smirking and never taking his eyes off of Tony's.

Abby squealed with delight and ran up the stairs, returning a couple of minutes later with a box. She very carefully placed the box at Tony's feet and said, "Merry Christmas, Tony. Gibbs said this was something you always wanted when you were little but never got. He asked for my help, and … well go on Tony, open it!" Abby was bouncing in place as Tony looked at the lid of the box that had a dozen or so holes in it.

Tony slowly and carefully removed the lid and gaped in shock before letting out a barely audible, "Oh … my … God! Jethro, you didn't?" Tony looked up to see Gibbs smiling at him with the one smile that was reserved just for him. Gibbs nodded toward the box, so Tony bent down and pulled a 10-week old tri-colored Beagle puppy from the box, which he held up for everyone to see.

A chorus of "Awwws" filled the room as Tony hugged the puppy to his chest. He walked slowly over to Gibbs and looked at him through tear-filled eyes before placing a loving kiss on his lips. "Jethro, thank you! How did you know," he asked softly as the puppy licked his chin.

"You mentioned it once … a **long** time ago. I just remembered it the other day. Abby helped me find him. She called a few friends and located him at a shelter. That's where I was last Saturday morning. I had to go fill out the adoption papers," Gibbs said proudly; this was a gift over thirty years in the making.

It was 2200 when the team finally called it a night after helping to fill a trash bag with discarded wrapping paper while suggesting names for Tony's puppy. It took several trips to get everyone's gifts into their respective cars, and after a last round of hugs, handshakes and thank yous, Gibbs shut the front door leaving just him, Tony, Jack and a still unnamed Beagle.

Jack got up out of Gibbs's recliner and bid Tony and Gibbs good night. He was worn out from the excitement of the day, not to mention the two large tumblers of Ducky's brandy. He stopped in front of them at the bottom of the stairs and as he tickled the puppy under the chin he said, "Merry Christmas boys."

Once they were alone Gibbs and Tony took the puppy out to the back yard, apparently just in the nick of time. As soon as Tony sat him down in the snow-covered grass he answered nature's call leaving a decidedly yellow patch of snow, which he tried to cover with fresh snow. When they came back inside, the puppy curled up on a blanket next to Tony as Tony and Gibbs exchanged their gifts. In addition to the snow blower, Tony got Gibbs a rare set of antique chisels, several designer shirts, ties and belts, all of which earned him a mock glare and an eye roll, a customary bottle of Jack Daniels, and to Gibbs's utter astonishment two tickets and an all-expenses paid trip for two to the Daytona 500 in February.

Tony opened a large box to find it full of dog supplies: collar, leash, toys, food and water dish, and a bag of puppy food. Tony took a few minutes to fill the food and water dish while Gibbs put the puppy's collar on him. Along with the puppy, Gibbs gave Tony six movie passes to his favorite theater, a one-eighth scale remote control Magnum PI Ferrari that McGee had helped him find online, and a mid-length black leather jacket Abby helped him pick out, but it was the last gift that Gibbs was nervous about giving him.

Gibbs stood and took a deep breath before retrieving a small white box with a tiny green bow on it from its hiding place inside of a pewter Marine Corp commemorative stein on the fireplace mantle and grinned at the shocked look on Tony's face. "If you're expecting a diamond engagement ring I'm afraid you are going to be disappointed," Gibbs chuckled as he handed the box to Tony.

Tony snorted but smiled as he removed the lid to find a key attached to a 24-carat gold engraved keychain.

"Gibbs?" Tony asked cautiously as he took it out of the box. "Is this what I think it is?"

Gibbs shrugged and said, "Read the inscriptions and find out."

Tony was overwhelmed by the keychain on which was engraved, "Tony & Jethro" on one side, and "Key to My Heart and Our Home" on the other.

"Jethro, I don't know what to say. This is … oh my God, are you sure?" Tony looked up and into the blue eyes he adored and saw love shining in them.

Gibbs stood and pulled Tony to his feet holding onto both of his hands and said, "Yes I'm sure. Tony, will you move in with me … officially? The only time this house ever feels like a home is when you're here. We can remodel or redecorate or whatever you want to do to this place. I've already signed a deed transferring the title to both of us. Tony, I want this to be your home and our home. Whadya say?"

Tony answered by throwing his arms around Gibbs's neck and kissing him soundly. "Yes, yes, yes …" Tony declared as he peppered Gibbs with kisses until he was interrupted by a series of excited yips, growls and barks. They both looked down to see Tony's puppy wagging his tail as he ran circles around them while barking his apparent approval.

"I think Probie the Dog agrees," Tony said with a laugh before claiming Gibbs's lips once again.

"I agree too." Surprised by the voice coming from behind them, Tony and Gibbs turned to find a teary-eyed but grinning Jack shuffling toward them. He patted a smiling Gibbs on the shoulder and pulled Tony into a hug. "This is where you belong, Tony. Welcome home, Son."

"HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE!"


End file.
